1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and particularly to an image recording apparatus in which light from a light source is irradiated onto a reflection original image or transparency original image, the light being used to form an image on a light-sensitive surface of a photosensitive material via an imaging lens system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in order to record a color image directly from a reflection or transparency original onto photosensitive material, for example, a color printing paper or the like, there has been generally used an optical system in which light from a halogen lamp is irradiated onto the reflection or transparency original and the light (i.e., reflected light or transmitted light) is used to form an image on a light-sensitive surface of the color printing paper via an imaging lens system.
However, when a halogen lamp is used as a light source in the above-described optical system, in order to adjust finished density and color balance in accordance with variation of quantity of light from the halogen lamp, it becomes necessary to use a diaphragm for the imaging lens system and provide a filter for color compensation and a mechanism for letting this filter in and out. As a result, there is a limit to miniaturization of an apparatus.
For this reason, there also has been considered a method for restraining variation of quantity of light by using a rare gas fluorescent lamp or the like, as the light source, instead of the halogen lamp. However, with this method, it is difficult to adjust the quantity of light in accordance with the type of original and to obtain a desirable light source having an optimum wavelength. For this reason, it is not suitable to use this method.